MOSCOW, April 19 - RAPSI. A draft law enabling foreigners in Russia on a working visa to study at Russian educational institutions has been submitted to parliament.

Immigrants will be now be given the opportunity to work outside study hours, Dmitry Sablin, a deputy of the parliament's lower chamber, said.

Foreigners will have the opportunity to extend their stay in Russia for the duration of their education term. There will no longer be any need to leave the country if they change educational institution or course of study.

The following laws are currently being amended: "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation" and "On the Procedure for Exit from the Russian Federation and Entry into the Russian Federation".

Over the last ten years, the number of students coming to Russian universities from CIS countries has increased ten-fold to 70,000. Some 20,000 students are studying at the expense of Russia, said MP Grigory Balykhin. Statistics show that the majority of students coming to study at Russian universities are from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Belarus.